“A Very Big, Epic Sci-Fi” TETRIS Movie in the Works, Obviously [Updated]

There was Battleship in the summer of 2012, Ouija’s on the way and there were attempts to give Stretch Armstrong and View-Master the big screen treatment as well. At this point, why would anyone be surprised that someone’s determined to turn Tetris into movie, too?

Apparently Threshold Entertainment is joining forces with the Tetris Company to bring the iconic 80s game to the big screen live-action-style. The film’s got no director or actors attached, but the companies do have the story figured out. Hit the jump for more on the plan to make a Tetris movie.

[Update: Threshold just sent out an official press release confirming the project.]

After the painfully uninspiring approach to the Battleship film that was barely reminiscent of the source material, the idea of going live-action with a Tetris movie feel like quite the stretch. However, Threshold CEO Larry Kasanoff told

The Wall Street Journal:

“Brands are the new stars of Hollywood. We have a story behind ‘Tetris’ which makes it a much more imaginative thing.”

Of course brands have a place on the big screen, but it’d still be a mind-blowing achievement if Kasanoff and co. do manage to deliver a Tetris film with a riveting story that also rouses memories of playing the game, especially with this nondescript and formulaic tease Kasanoff gave:

“It’s a very big, epic sci-fi movie. This isn’t a movie with a bunch of lines running around the page. We’re not giving feet to the geometric shapes.”

Well, that’s good, but would anyone expect them to make a movie with walking, talking tetrominoes? Perhaps it isn’t fair to jump to conclusions so early on, but after Battleship and with the way Ouija looks, the whole game/toy fad is becoming one big waste of time. Hopefully whoever Kasanoff and his team recruit to pen the script and helm the film take a cue from what Phil Lord and Chris Miller achieved with The Lego Movie because, to me at least, the whole point of turning a beloved game or toy into a movie would be to stir some serious nostalgia while also broadening the concept with an innovative narrative.

And naturally, should this Tetris movie hit it big, Kasanoff already has plans to do more with the property. I’m not entirely sure what “location-based entertainment” entails, but here’s what he hopes to do if the film is a winner:

“We certainly have the canvas for location-based entertainment based on the epicness.”

Kasanoff also added:

“What you [will] see in ‘Tetris’ is the teeny tip of an iceberg that has intergalactic significance.”

Hopefully Kasanoff will attach some top talent or release more promising plot details soon.

by Perri Nemiroff, Collider